Inspiring and engaging middle school students around the promise of invention and the opportunity to be a change-maker
With the support of the Foundation, the Society for Science & the Public increases awareness for invention among middle school students, educators and parents through published content and recognition prizes.
Middle school is a time of transition for many students, where they begin to form identities based on perceptions of personal strengths and weaknesses on school subjects. As a result, middle school is seen as a tipping point when there is significant risk of students losing interest in STEM subjects for the long term.
The Society for Science & the Public cultivates continued interest in STEM through real-world project-based opportunities, creating an ideal opportunity to engage students in invention.
The Society supports two invention award programs:
- The Lemelson Early Inventor Award is presented to an inventor at each of the 300 middle school science fairs through the Society’s Affiliate Fair Network.
- The $10,000 Lemelson Award for Invention is presented each year to a Broadcom MASTERS® finalist working on a promising solution to real-world problems. Broadcom MASTERS® finalists, a cohort of 300 middle school students from across the U.S., are among the top 10% of competitors across Society-affiliated regional and state science fairs.
Additionally, the Society publishes numerous invention-oriented articles annually in Science News for Students, its award-winning online publication dedicated to providing age-appropriate, topical science news to learners, parents and educators.